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Sunday, September 11, 2011

The two rectangular pictures are postcards from the Photodrama of Creation. A set of 40 postcards was advertised in 1917 (see reprints page 6077) – and complete sets have passed through my hands on several occasions, always 40 in number.

However, the two colored cards above are numbered 44 and 47b.

Spot the difference.

However, the square picture is the actual slide used in the Photodrama, which is different yet again. (This original is reproduced in the scenario and would later be reproduced again in a motto postcard numbered L-9 – one of the Lardent series.)

Why did they keep on redrawing (not always very successfully) this particular picture - particularly in the Photodrama postcard series?

And does anyone have details of any other Photodrama postcards higher than 40? There is 47a which has a woman on a veranda overlooking a paradise scene with animals entitled PAX, but I have never seen others higher than 40.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

I posted an longish section on Russell's early religious experience. We've identified the Congregational Church he associated with and now know the names of the clergy he dealt with. There is information about his early exposure to prophetic speculation and English Literalism while a Congregationalist.

To read this you must ask for access. Contact Mr. Schulz at bwschulz2 at yahoo dot com to request access. Explain your interest briefly. Brief is good.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

With the success of the Photodrama in mind, and the realisation that records were now highly popular, a few Bible Students set up the Angelico Company in 1916. Ostensibly it was to manufacture and sell phonographs, but with each purchase came a set of 50 Angelophone recordings. For some reason they were numbered 49-98, although it is certain that no 1-48 were ever issued. The records were small seven inch discs using the ‘hill and dale’ method to squeeze two minutes on a side at 85 rpm. They were advertised as ‘Old Fireside Hymns’ sung by the celebrated baritone Henry Burr. On the reverse side (also at 85 rpm) were a series of two minute sermons to explain the hymns. These were uncredited, but were Pastor Russell’s own voice. Those who had questions could write to a ‘Free Information Bureau for Angelophone Patrons’. This of course was the Watch Tower Society.

It must have sounded a good idea on paper; reaching people who might be prejudiced by the words Watch Tower. In practice, it was a disaster!

For a start, Henry Burr sounds rather the worse for wear. The hymns contain some high notes that his baritone had considerable difficulty in reaching. Limited to two minutes many hymns were abridged. The reverse side, Pastor Russell’s short sermons – and the only reason the Bible Students would purchase – was even worse! Russell was now in very poor health and died in October 1916. His voice, unsuitable for the Photodrama, was even more unsuitable now. The recordings were very poorly made, and today (without a transcript) much of what is said is indecipherable. It appears to have been the same at the time because complaints flooded in, and the Watch Tower had to announce they had been re-recorded. This time, Harry Humphries was hired again. His voice was slightly slower, so the speed for his recordings was reduced to 80 rpm. There is some improvement, but not a lot, and the records soon ceased production. The Angelophone Hymnal disappeared from the Society’s cost list after 1919.

Note for collectors: there are two issues. The first issue has dark blue paper labels for the ‘Old Fireside Hymns’ and an embossed title for the lectures given (uncredited) by Russell. The second issue has light blue paper labels for the hymns (the words ‘Old Fireside’ are omitted) and off-white paper labels for the lectures given (uncredited) by Humphries.

Taken from “The Watchtower (IBSA) Recordings” published in “The Historic Record” issue 27 (dated April 1993) with kind permission of the author.